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(The Times, Magnus Linklater 29/06/05)
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Rosie Runs
by Marika Maijala
Age Range: Under_5
Rosie is a racing greyhound. Dressed in her jersey number two she races down the track, her paws hammering the ground. There is cheering and shouting in the stands as she races alongside the other dogs after the white mechanical hare which scurries in front. After winning the race, Rosie and her racing companions are put in their cages. All Rosie wants to do is sleep but it’s not easy when the racetrack is noisy and she has to doze in a sitting position. She dreams of “forests, fields, and real hares”.
One day, as Rosie nears the finish line in first position she doesn’t slow down at the checkered flag. Instead, she keeps on running leaping over the track fence and beyond the racetrack, across fields into a forest, onto the streets of a strange city and is swept out to sea before being washed ashore in a small town. A new world opens up before Rosie’s eyes and she is finally free from the confines of her life at the race track.
Finnish author, illustrator and graphic designer Marika Maijala has written an acutely observed story, translated by Mia Spangenberg, about the life of racing dogs for a young audience which captures the poignancy of Rosie’s confined life but also denotes her bravery and determination to be free. Rosie is a resilient character and hope permeates the story.
The artwork mirrors childlike drawings in colourful pastels and crayons taking up most of the pages while the text is set in small blocks to the side or bottom. Rosie Runs is a whimsical story full of optimism and young readers will be rooting for Rosie to find freedom and happiness.